We are big fans of Facebook. The way it allows us to so easily stay in touch with all our family and friends – no matter where we all are – enriches our lives. Old friends stay connected, and new friends become close because of the easy communications provided by Facebook. If you are a Good Sam Club member, I hope you saw the article “Get Away, Stay Connected” in the April/May issue of Highways Magazine. In it I wrote all about Facebook and other social networking. You can log in and read it online at Highways magazine – page 46.

We always start out our Facebook seminar with a few Do’s and Don’t’s. Here are our top 5:

DO use Facebook. It is simply the best way of communicating with friends and family. You owe it to yourself to at least give it a try. Post interesting tidbits about your life and see who comments. You will learn things about your friends and family that you never have enough face-to-face time for.

DON’T accept friend requests unless they are truly your friends. The purpose of Facebook is for real people to connect with real friends (and family.) It is not a popularity contest. To become Facebook friends requires confirmation by the people on both sides. If you receive a request from people you don’t know – just ignore them, or click ‘Not Now.’

DO follow the instructions for account security by using a special, secure password, entering a second email, your cell phone number, and a secret question. You can hide this info from everyone except Facebook. The purpose is for Facebook to have a way to verify your identity in the event you forget your password, or in the unlikely event that your account is hijacked. The other recommended security setting is to always use the secure connection (https) option.

DON’T post any information that would upset you if you saw it printed in your local newspaper. The privacy controls on Facebook are trustworthy, but did you set them correctly? And, might your friends repeat what you said outside of Facebook? Once something is on the Internet and even one person can see it, it can be copied and posted elsewhere. If you don’t want something known, don’t post it!

DO use your Smartphone to post pictures and status updates to Facebook. You may find that the only computer you need as you travel is your Smartphone.